KEMAMAN: Police have apprehended an unemployed man on suspicion of possessing an imitation weapon, following an investigation into reports of gunshot-like sounds in a local neighborhood.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the arrest took place in Chukai at 6.45 pm yesterday, as confirmed by Acting Kemaman Police Chief DSP Wan Muhamad Wan Ja’afar. The 48-year-old suspect was taken into custody after a resident reported hearing noises that resembled gunfire outside his home in Taman Banggol Indah. The resident, a 55-year-old man, discovered several metal ball bearings in his parking area last Saturday afternoon.

Wan Muhamad detailed that the resident had previously noticed glass shards and a hole in the glass panel of his stairway, as well as metal ball bearings on his balcony and parking area on December 18. Concerned for his family’s safety, the resident filed a police report at 2.14 pm.

Preliminary investigations revealed a hole in the upstairs window of the resident’s house, believed to result from gunfire. The trajectory suggested that the shots originated from the nearby home of the suspect. Authorities suspect the man used a counterfeit weapon, specifically a slingshot purchased online, along with metal ball bearings typically used for hunting birds.

The suspect is currently remanded for four days, until January 2, 2025, as investigations continue under Section 36 of the Arms Act 1960 for possession of an imitation weapon and Section 427 of the Penal Code for committing mischief. Wan Muhamad urged the public to refrain from acquiring imitation weapons, warning of potential legal consequences for those found guilty.